DNA aptamer-conjugated lipid nanoparticle for targeted PTEN mRNA delivery to prostate cancer cells

The use of messenger RNA (mRNA) as a cancer vaccine and gene therapy requires targeted vehicle delivery to the site of disease. Here, we designed a mRNA-encapsulating lipid nanoparticle (LNP) conjugated with anti-programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) DNA aptamer that delivers mRNA encoding a tumor suppressor gene, namely phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) cells expressing PD-L1 on the cell surface. The DNA aptamer-conjugated LNP-based mRNA delivery system (Apt-LNP[PTEN mRNA]) mediated efficient mRNA delivery and transfection in CRPC cells than LNPs without targeting ligands. Cancer-targeted PTEN mRNA delivery using Apt-LNPs achieved significantly higher PTEN expression via aptamer-mediated endocytosis in target cancer cells compared with non-targeted LNP delivery, resulting in significant downregulation of AKT phosphorylation. This enhanced PI3K/AKT pathway regulation, and in turn reduced cell migration after two days along with a 70 % decrease in cell viability, leading to effective apoptotic cell death. In a CRPC xenograft model, Apt-LNP[PTEN mRNA] led to an approximate 60 % reduction in tumor growth, which was attributable to the effective PTEN restoration and PI3K/AKT signaling pathway regulation. PTEN expression was significantly enhanced in CRPC tumor tissues, which abolished cancer cell tumorigenicity. These findings demonstrated the potential of Apt-LNPs for targeted mRNA delivery to cancer cells, thus providing a promising tool for targeted mRNA delivery to a range of cancers and tissues using a conventional LNP systems.